


Aveir

by gawsoloy



Series: Aveir [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, M/M, Other Winged Characters, Rating subject to change, Slavery, Winged Yuuri
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-16
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-08-31 10:56:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8575621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gawsoloy/pseuds/gawsoloy
Summary: Yuuri's clan has been infiltrated and all of the Aveir have been captured to be sold into slavery due to their beautiful wings, but Yuuri is too plain to be bought. Until Yakov and his servant Viktor come along. Yuuri catches Viktor's eye and ends up being bought by Yakov to be Viktor's assistant in their dance school, but not all is what it seems.Hiatus until further notice





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> This is word vomit, enjoy.

“Be careful little bird, you never know what the world holds for you. It may not be as wonderful as you believe it to be.”

Someone spoke. Warm and safe, a feeling long forgotten. Yuuri stretched his wing out, chocolate plumage ruffling, before drifting off into deeper sleep.

_______________________________

"Get up you feathered freak." A greasy haired individual loomed over Yuuri's sleeping figure. His words held threats of violence should the poor winged boy not listen. "You damned Aveir."

Yuuri jerked awake, alarm written on his features. He had forgotten. There was no warmth, no voice to keep him calm. Only cold stone and chains.

The chains around his wrists and feet had dug into his skin during the night, raw and infected. It was painful. Yuuri didn't know if they would treat it or not, though it was more likely that they wouldn't. His bound wings ached as well. There was nothing he could do.

"You'll be on the selling block today birdie." The man's voice felt gross, like someone violating your ears with the very sound. He was well known for mistreating the others kept here, he didn't need a reason to assault anyone.

"Maybe you'll finally get sold and get the hell out of here, although I don't know anyone in their right mind who would want to buy a Aveir freak like you." The man sneered. "Your people are so useless, but I suppose you could just sit there and look pretty. If you were pretty, that is."

He cackled as the chains around Yuuri's wrists were yanked forward, pulling the dazed boy to the ground. Without hardly giving him a chance to recover, the man pulled Yuuri down the cell covered hall into the preparation room with the others that were to be sold into slavery.

Yuuri was the only Aveir there. His people were a race of humanoids with wings. There were a few differences between human bodies and aveir bodies, besides the wings, that separated the two. Both were equally as intelligent, but the human's claimed vehemently that they were far superior.

This led to the humans hunting down the Aveir in the humble mountain homes for the slave market. Being pacifist as they were, the Aveir had no means of retaliating, and the majority of them were either killed, or sold.

Yuuri felt as if he was the only Aveir in the region. The tell tale signs of their people had faded as the others were sold, but no one had wanted Yuuri. He was reserved, a little on the overweight side. He didn't stand out much at all. Since most Aveir were coveted for their stunning plumage, Yuuri was mediocre, and thusly ignored.

Yuuri's wrist chains were locked into a loop on the floor. He was lightly groomed, and then unlocked and moved to his holding position. Looking around, Yuuri saw the other's that were to be sold before him. Most of them being young men or children. There were a few women for more domestic labor, and then the ones that were for pleasure. Yuuri felt especially bad for them.

Now all there was to do was wait. Wait and see what fate had in store for him.

_________________________________

Yakov Feltsman was a strict, but fair man. Viktor was treated with dignity in the older man's service. So much so, that he was allowed to accompany him to the slave auction to pick out an assistant for himself. Their school for dance was large and wealthy, with much to do.

Yakov had always hired his staff from these auctions to save the poor souls that he could from a mistreating master. Many people didn't agree with his ways, but he did not care. Many of the would be slaves worked better in the conditions that he put them in as opposed to the life of an actual slave.

That being said, Viktor was a very eccentric man. His tastes were peculiar, but even this was a first for him. He had sat through many different humans standing on the podium, none of which caught his eye until the announcer's final call grabbed his attention.

"This last one here is a special one, 'es an Aveir, a boy with wings." The crowd hummed. Aveirs had a reputation to be beautiful creatures, but the buzz quickly died down as the boy appeared on stage.

To others, he looked average in every way. His feathers were dirty, and it looked as if he was in the middle of molting season. There was also the extra weight the boy had on his body. To anyone looking for a prestige Aveir, their interest was lost.

Viktor could only see potential in those chocolate eyes. They seemed cold at first glance, but it was clear that he was just scared. Viktor tapped Yakov's arm and nodded. This was the one he wanted.

Yakov arched an eyebrow, before shrugging and preparing his bid.

"We will begin bidding at 500 gold." The announced called. Bids came in slowly, 525 gold, 550 gold. Viktor sharply looked at his master before asking him to bid as high as he could. Yakov rolled his eyes, but complied nonetheless.

"1000 gold." His gruff voice called out. A gasp ran through the room, and the poor Aveir boy jerked his head up in search of who cast the bid. In seconds, his eyes met with Viktor's and he received a wink from the silver haired man.

A blush rose to the Aveir's cheeks.

"1000 gold, going once." The room was silent. "Going twice!"

Not a single person made a move.

"Sold to the gentleman with the silver haired servant for 1000 gold." The announced called the bet, ending the auction. "All person's who have purchased today can get their possessions after payment in the back. Have a wonderful day gentlemen."

_____________________________

Yuuri couldn't believe it. Someone had actually bought him. After three consecutive auctions, he was beginning to think he would be killed as unsellable merchandise.

But someone had bought him.

He was scared.

It didn't take very long at all for the greasy haired man to bring him to the money tent and to his new master. He was intimidating. Yuuri was on edge before he locked eyes with the servant beside the older man again.

Viktor sent Yuuri another wink, causing the latter to blush and look to the ground again.

"Alright, that will be 1000 gold." The greasy haired man sneered, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into by buying an Aveir."

"Hold your tongue." Yakov replied sharply. "It is no longer any of your business."

Viktor seemed to try and hold back a laugh. The man simply huffed and released the shackles around Yuuri's ankles.

"Here's the keys to his wrists and wings. Have fun."

"Thank you." Yakov replied sharply, "Come, little one. We need to get back to the estate to get you ready and start your training."

Yuuri nodded.

"What is your name Aveir?" Yakov questioned him.

"Yuri, master."

"I see," Yakov hummed. "I am Yakov, but your master will be Viktor here. You are to be his assistant."

"Nice to meet you Yuuri." Viktor beamed at the bound man. "We will take off your bindings once we get in the carriage."

"Yes master."

"Please, call me Mr. Nikiforov or Master Viktor." Viktor smiled again. "Hearing just master makes my skin crawl.

"Yes, Master Viktor." Yuuri shyly responded.

"Alright, let's get going then." Yakov grunted, guiding the other two to the carriage. "It's a long ways home, so get comfortable."

"Yes sir." Yuuri sat where Viktor gestured. Yakov motioned for Yuuri to hold his hands out as he unlocked his wrists and wings. Yuuri sat back, studying his newfound masters as the journey to his new home started. He wasn't sure what was going to happen now, but there wasn’t much he could do besides take each day one step at a time.

It was incredibly nerve wracking.


	2. Agony of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trip begins, and Viktor's request to get to know Yuuri better digs up some unsavory memories.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Flashback time, yay.  
> I'm crying because I have to go to work at 6am tomorrow and wednesday. I won't get off till 2, so I'm not gonna be able to watch the new ep as it comes out TvT
> 
> Follow me on my Tumblr: [here](http://www.alphaweeb.tumblr.com)

The trip to Yuuri's new home would take about two days. He had heard Yakov say as much. They had plans to stop and rest every few hours, and at some point find lodging for the night. 

 

Yuuri was seated across from Viktor and Yakov, his head lowered in the event that they thought slaves shouldn't make eye contact with anyone of a high position than them like it was at the traders. Yuuri felt on edge since neither Yakov or Viktor had really spoken about the mannerisms they wanted him to embrace. He wasn't about to speak out of turn to ask though. 

 

"Yuuri, tell me about yourself." Viktor's sudden question surprised Yuuri. "Where were you from before this, what are your people like. I'd truly love to know." 

 

Yuuri didn't really want to reveal anything about his home life before his capture. The memory haunted him every night, invading his dreams and consuming his waking moments as well. Yuuri figured he would try and tell Viktor as little as possible for now, and perhaps he would drop the subject. 

 

"I lived in the mountains to the east." Yuuri answered softly, "We minded our own business and never really interacted with humans, so I'm not entirely sure how they found us... I..." Yuuri trailed off, the memories of that night had came bubbling to the surface of his mind. He knew this would have happened. He should have stayed quiet. 

 

________________________________ 

 

"Yuuri! Let's go, we were supposed to meet Takeshi at the sun's zenith." A young lady with mahogany colored feathers pulled Yuuri by his wrist, her pink eyes frantic with worry. "We're late, lets gooooo!" 

 

"Yu-chan, you know he wants to see you, not me." A timid Yuuri tried to pull his hand back as his wings flapped in frustration. "Besides, I promised Mari nee-chan that I would help clean the spring so we could wash." 

 

"Common Yuuri, we both know you don’t want to do that, besides," Yuuko brushed her brown bangs away from her eyes, "We also need to prep for the celebration dance. You do remember the Aveir Festival is soon, right?" 

 

"So soon?" 

 

"You mean you actually forgot?! Yuuri!" Yuuko cried, her face twisted in mock disappointment. 

 

"I'm kiddin-" Yuuri's sentence was cut off by a blood curdling scream. Both Yuuri and Yuuko's wings tensed up as the sounds of distress started coming from more directions than just one. 

 

"Yu-chan, what's happening?" Yuuri whispered, grabbing the elder woman's arm. 

 

"I don’t know Yuuri." Yuuko's voice was quivering, "We need to hide, quickly Yuuri, run!" 

 

Yuuri didn’t process Yuuko's words before he was being pulled along. He had noticed smoke starting to billow thickly into the sky, the dark black color blocking the sun leaving all of the colors to fade to a dull shade. 

 

He didn't understand. What was happening, why? Were they being attacked? What about Mom, Dad and Mari nee-chan? What about Vic-chan? Yuuri knew the smoke couldn't be good for his companion pet at all. 

 

Yuuko had led Yuuri to one of the cave systems that they had used to play in as a child. She navigated skillfully until she deemed they were safe. Sitting down, both the Aveir panted to catch their breath. 

 

"Yuuko, Yuuri?" A deep voice ran out, scaring the two out of their wits. Takeshi slowly crept out from behind a rock, blood dripping from a gash on his forehead. He looked spooked, like he had seen someone die. 

 

"Takeshi, what happened?!" Yuuko was quick to take action, ripping a clean portion of her shirt to dab at the wound. 

 

"They captured them." 

 

"What?" Yuuri asked, confused. 

 

"The slavers, they captured them, all the Aveir that lived near me. Burned down our houses." 

 

Yuuko's eyes widened as she turned back to look at Yuuri. Yuuri could only return her gaze as he tried to process what Takeshi had just said. Tears slowly began to drip down his cheeks. 

 

"What are we going to do?" 

 

The question that was on everyone's mind was finally spoken. All three fell silent, no one knew. They couldn't hide forever. None of them were sure how long the trappers would be in the area. There was no telling when they would lose interest and move on. 

 

Their safety didn't last long though. Thundering footsteps could be heard echoing throughout the cavern. They were trapped. 

 

"Search the area, they could easily hide here." A slimy voice commanded. 

 

"Yuuko, were gonna get caught." Yuuri whispered, dread bubbling up inside of him. As far as he could see, there was no way out. The entrance was blocked by the man giving orders, and trappers were searching the caves all around them. 

 

"Make a break for it. I'll distract them." Takeshi told them, his resolve absolute. Yuuko made a face in protest, but Takeshi only shook his head solemnly. "If it means giving you a chance to escape, I would do it over and over again Yuuko. You as well Yuuri." 

 

"Takeshi, I don’t want to be free if it means you're not there." Yuuko cried softly, grabbing the younger man's arm possessively. 

 

"No, you need to be there for the girls, they need you." Takeshi gently pried her hand away. "I'll draw their attention, when I do, run." 

 

Takeshi stood, took a deep breath, and ran out from their hiding place. Shouts were heard as footsteps thundered past the place that they were tucked away in. 

 

Yuuri moved to run, but soon noticed that Yuuko had yet to move. She was stuck in place, a look of despair consuming her features. It was clear that she wasn’t going to move unless someone was dragging her along. So Yuuri grabbed her wrist, yanked her to her feet and made a mad dash for the entrance. 

 

They somehow had successfully made it past almost all of the trappers. Yuuri slowed for a moment, thinking that they were in the clear. 

 

It was his grave mistake. 

 

Bolas flew through the air, wrapping around both Yuuri and Yuuko, forcing them to fall to the ground. Without moving Yuuri already knew his wing was sprained. There was no way he could make his escape by air. 

 

"Yuuri, run!" Yuuko cried, somehow managing to get to her feet. Her left wing was bent to a horrifying angle. It was definitely broken, and by the looks of it, would never properly heal. "Yuuri, you have to go. If we're going to get caught, I'd rather put up a fight like nothing else, now let's go!." 

 

Yuuri struggled to his feet. He had to make an attempt at least. Go down fighting. Yuuko took his hand and they made a slow pace, the bolas slowing them down. The pair only got a few hundred feet away before the men who threw them came thundering towards them. 

 

Yuuko screamed, and it was the last thing Yuuri heard before something hard collided with his head and everything went dark. 

______________________________ 

 

Yuuri awoke with chains binding his wrists and ankles. The room he was in smelled musty and earth, and the hard stone underneath his subdued form. His body screamed in agony as he stirred. 

 

"So the birdy awakens." The same slimy voice echoed out into the air. It was the same one he had heard when he and the others were in the caves. 

 

The man looked horrid. His hair was greasy, slicked back, as if he was in style. He reeked, like he hadn't bathed in months. How disgusting. 

 

"You and your freak clan are going to get us a pretty penny little Aveir." He continued. "Such lovely creatures. Go back to sleep." 

 

Yuuri felt a wave of exhaustion hit him again. As he went back under, he noticed that the air had an electrifying feel to it. Someone was using magic to put him under, was his last thought before sleep consumed him again. 

_________________________________ 

 

"Yuuri?" Viktor's sharp tone snapped the young Aveir out of his reminiscence. Yuuri didn't realize that he had spaced out until then. He blinked and looked at Viktor with a confused expression. 

 

"Yes?" 

 

"I'm sorry I asked. It's clear that you aren't ready to share." Viktors face showed his concern. "Rest for now. Master Yakov told me we should be coming upon a village to rest for the night. Clear your mind until then." 

 

Yuuri nodded, turning to the window of the carriage and getting comfortable as his thoughts carried his attention far away once more.


	3. Friend or Foe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stopping in a random city for the night, Yuuri runs into a handsy person before finally getting the bath he had been craving since his capture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My mind is not working recently... forgive me if this chapter seems weird... I feel weird myself orz

Yuuri had sat silently for the rest of the time they were traveling. The soft tones of Yakov and Viktor discussing something helped Yuuri tune out the raging noise that had settled in his mind. He tried to calm himself as the trees and sky passed by out of the carriage window. 

 

After a while, the traveling group came to a stop in a city. It wasn't too large, but enough to get lost in if one wasn't paying attention. 

 

"We're going to be staying the night here, Yuuri." Viktor informed him, pulling the younger man out of his thoughts. "It might take a bit to find a Inn that will let slaves sleep in their rooms, as much as I hate to admit. I don't want you sleeping in the carriage if I can't help it." 

 

"Okay." Yuuri only mumbled in response. Viktor was so strange to him. He seemed like he was trying to keep from reminding Yuuri that he was in fact, a slave. It was almost like the very idea made the older male uncomfortable. Yuuri wasn't sure why. 

 

The city was very diverse, from what Yuuri saw. There were people of all types of ethnicities and races, as well as species. Yuuri could have sworn he saw a few people with ears and tails, but the bustling crowd made it hard to get a second look at things that caught Yuuri's eye. 

 

Yuuri also noticed an uncomfortable gaze was almost always on him as he followed Viktor and Yakov. It was as if people were sneering at him, but when he lifted his head to look around, no one's face gave away any of the disdain that Yuuri felt in the atmosphere around him. 

 

After checking a few places, they finally happened upon a large Inn that seemed to be more lax in their policy. Viktor once again asked Yuuri to stand in wait outside while he asked if he could stay in the room with them. Yuuri nodded and moved to stand a little ways away from the Inn's entrance. Further away from the judging gazes Yuuri had felt on him since they had arrived in this city. 

 

A few minutes passed before a presence was felt behind the young Aveir, before he felt a hand trailing down his back to squeeze at his ass. 

 

"My, my, my, what do we have here?" A sultry accented voice purred in Yuuri's ear, causing him to shiver and let out a small squeak. Yuuri quickly turned only to be face to face with a man with large peridot eyes. 

 

Flinching, Yuuri backed up to take a better look at the man who had groped him. He was taller than Yuuri, blonde hair with a black undercut. 

 

"W-who?" Yuuri barely managed to stutter out before the other man let out a boisterous laugh. 

 

"You can call me Christophe, little birdie." Chris purred, reaching a hand out to caress Yuuri's face. Yuuri flinched and backed away again, only to have Christophe back him against the wall and cage him in his arms. 

 

"Where do you think you're going?" He chuckled, his eyes glinting. While he didn't seem like he was the type to hurt Yuuri, his demanding presence made the Aveir very uncomfortable. His wings shook a little, drawing Chris's attention to the dark plumage. 

 

"You're one of those Aveir, aren't you?" 

 

"Y-yes." 

 

"Are you from the village those nasty slavers raided not too long ago?" Chris asked, actual remorse lacing his voice. 

 

"The one in the mountains, y-yes." Yuuri barely stammered out. 

 

Christophe's gaze grew even more sorrowful. Yuuri wasn't sure why this man had chosen to back him into a corner, or why his tune suddenly changed from flirty to sad, but he wasn't about to ask either. 

 

"Oh, you poor thing." The taller male pulled Yuuri into a hug, much to his dismay. For a while, Yuuri struggled to get out before giving up and just becoming stiff. "I ended up buying some of your kind not to long ago, I wonder if yo-." 

 

"What do you think you're doing with him?" A gruff voice called out, breaking the blond's sentence. Yuuri tried to twist his head, catching a glance of what he thought to be Yakov, before Chris was pulled harshly away and he found himself in Vkitor's arms. 

 

"He is with us, do not go touching people without their consent, Chris." 

 

Ah, Viktor must know him then. 

 

"I meant no harm by it, Viktor." Chris acted offended, "Your little bird just caught my eye is all." 

 

"Regardless, don’t go touching things that don't belong to you." Viktor snapped, pulling Yuuri closer. 

 

"Fine, fine." Chris dismissed him with a wave of his hand. "I'll see you at the next competition, Viktor." 

 

With that, Christophe stalked off, leaving behind a confused Yuuri and a seething Viktor. 

 

"Come Yuuri, we finally found a place that we can stay in. It's best if we get a good meal, bath and get some rest." Viktor said softly, guiding Yuuri away. 

 

______________________________ 

 

As it turned out, they had only been able to get two rooms, one for Yakov to stay in, and one for Yuuri and Viktor to stay in. 

 

As Viktor opened the door to their room, Yuuri quetly looked around the foreign space, marveling at the different architect style this city had compared to the simple oriental style the Aveir used. 

 

The room had to small beds on opposite walls, a small table separating the two. The room wasn't large, but it was cozy. A large window was on the wall facing the foot of the beds. 

 

Viktor sat on the bed farthest from the door, stretching his arms up into the air before releasing a pent up sigh. Stifling a yawn, he in turn looked at Yuuri with a questioning gaze. 

 

"Chris didn't do anything inappropriate to you, did he?" 

 

"Not really." Yuuri murmmered, taking his own place on his bed. 

 

"Well, that’s a relief." Viktor sighed again. "Chris has no concept of personal space or when and where to say something." 

 

Yuuri noted that Viktor seemed to be talking from experience. 

 

"Has he done something like that to you before?" 

 

"Yeah, a long time ago. He still hasn't changed." Viktor gave another exasperated sigh before standing up. "I'm going to take a bath, come with me?" 

 

"I suppose." Yuuri stood, following Viktor out the door and down the hall. In the changing room, Yuuri shyly striped himself of the rags that he had been placed in before wrapping a towel around his waist and making his way to the baths. 

 

Yuuri sighed in relief as he submerged his lower half into the water, flexing his wings out, making sure they weren’t submerged. Viktor slipped in behind him, settling a small distance away before gently rubbing his arms. 

 

"If you don't mind me asking, how do your kind bath with wings?" Viktor suddenly asked. "I would figure that you wouldn't want them too wet since they would weigh you down." 

 

"You're partly correct." Yuuri answered. "We can get our wings wet, but we usually only do it when we feel safe." 

 

"So only if you feel there's no reason to need to flee?" 

 

"Yes." 

 

Viktor hummed, becoming lost in thought. Yuuri began washing the grime and dirt off his body. The condition of the cell he was held in had made a layer of dirt settle on him. It was gross. Yuuri didn't like being this dirty. Most Aveir didn't. 

 

"Do you want me to wash your hair?" Viktor suddenly asked, startling Yuuri. 

 

"Um... If you don’t mind. It's hard to do it without getting my wings wet." Yuuri replied. 

 

Viktor waded over to him, a small bucket in hand. Filling it with water, he warned Yuuri before gently pouring in over his hair. Yuuri shivered as the warm water trickled down his face and back. Putting a small amount of soap in his hand, Viktor began to slowly massage Yuuri's scalp. His deft fingers gently pulled apart tangles, finally making Yuuri's hair as smooth as it used to be. 

 

"Make sure none of the soap gets on my feathers please." Yuuri told Viktor. 

 

"Whys that?" 

 

"I only need water to clean them, the oil that naturally coats them will get messed up if I put anything but water on them." 

 

"Ah, I see." 

 

They quickly finished up, carefully rinsing and drying off before heading back to their room. Curling into bed, Viktor blew out the candle before murmuring to Yuuri to get some rest. They would be leaving early tomorrow morning so that they could get home around early evening the next day. 

 

Yuuri hummed in acknowledgement before he slowly drifted off into sleep.


	4. Arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio finally arrive at their destination. Yuuri meets the other people he will be living with, and gets a chance to learn a little more about his new master, Viktor.

Yuuri had woken a little before daybreak. He watched Viktor's gentle breathing as he tried to wake himself up. At some point, Viktor also stirred and awoke to see Yuuri quickly turn away from him as if he hadn't been staring at him for several minutes. 

 

How cute. 

 

They both finally got up a half hour later, meeting Yakov in the Inn's tavern for a hasty breakfast before gathering what they had and heading back to the carriage. 

 

"We should arrive around noon." Yakov's gruff voice broke the comfortable silence. "Until then, feel free to tell your new attendant some of what he will be doing for you, Viktor." 

 

Viktor smiled widely, turning to Yuuri excitedly. 

 

"I think you'll love it Yuuri!" His voice contained so much joy, Yuuri wondered what he was so passionate about that it would elicit that kind of response. "I'll be teaching you the basics of human dance, as well as other alternatives such as figure skating or magic dances. It all depends on what you want to try, but you have to at least get human dances down." 

 

Yuuri nodded hesitantly. He wasn't sure what the difference was between a dance his people would perform and ones a human would. He would be lying if he said it didn't make him nervous. 

 

"It sounds interesting." Yuuri quietly responded, giving Viktor a shy smile. 

 

Viktor could only beam. 

 

"Perfect!" 

 

_______________________ 

 

They approached what looked like to Yuuri, a large campus of some sorts. By Viktor's excited wiggling and Yakov's exasperated sigh, Yuuri could only guess that this was to be his new home. 

 

It was noon, as anticipated, that they arrived at the front gate of the manor. A man around Viktor's age opened the gates for them, allowing the carriage to pass while giving a short bow. Yuuri figured he must be another servant of the household. 

 

They proceeded up the cobblestone drive to come to a complete stop in front of a grand staircase and massive front doors. Yuuri marveled at the large structure in front of him. It had a very western style to it. Large windows with ivy vines creeping up it's sides. It looked well maintained despite the ivy. Perhaps it was for aesthetic. 

 

"What do you think, Yuuri?" Viktor asked him, seemingly bouncing in his seat. 

 

"It looks different from the buildings I'm used to." Yuuri said, his words hesitant. 

 

"Oh really?" Viktor seemed curious. "You'll have to tell me more about it later." 

 

Yuuri only nodded, shifting his attention back to the building in front of him. The building that was to be his new home. He wasn't sure how to feel about it. 

 

Not that he had much time to think. His thoughts were rudely interrupted by an enraged shout. 

 

"Viktor, you bastard! Where the hell did you go?!" A short blond boy burst out of the front door. 

 

"Cat." Yuuri deadpanned. Stomping down the front steps before him, the young blond boy had an obvious set of ears and a fluffed up tail, much like an angry cat. 

 

"Yuri, don’t be so brash." A female voice called out, as a red headed woman made her way out of the front door as well. 

 

"Yuri? Me?" Yuuri asked, pointing at himself and tilting his head to the side. 

 

"You, no." The girl shook her head. "Him." 

 

Him, happened to be the angry cat boy who was now being held back by Yakov for apparently trying to maul Viktor. Yuuri wasn't sure why the boy was so angry, but he really didn't want to get into the middle of whatever the hell was happening over there. 

 

"I'm Mila." The lady drew Yuuri's attention back over to her. "I'm a fox, as you can see." She shook the bushy red tail behind her. 

 

"I'm an Aveir." Yuuri responded quietly. 

 

"The race with bird wings?" 

 

"Yeah. We aren't shape shifters like your kind. This is our only form." 

 

"I see. How interesting." Mila's eyes sparkled. "I didn't catch your name though." 

 

"O-oh, sorry. I'm Yuuri." 

 

"Oh man, that's gonna be confusing." Mila smiled sympathetically. "That over there is Yuri as well, the boy with the cat features." 

 

"Is he a shape shifter too?" Yuri asked, turning his gaze back over to the younger boy and Viktor. It seemed like the younger of the two wasn't as violent anymore, opting to glare at Viktor. 

 

"Dunno, he's never shown any qualities of being an actual cat, so either he's a mix breed, or his kind just aren't shape shifters." 

 

"I've never seen a cat humanoid before." Yuuri wondered what region they were native to. 

 

"He doesn’t seem to know either, Yuuri." Viktor butted himself into the conversation. "As far as we know, he's either the last of his kind, or they just don’t reside anywhere near here." 

 

Mila nodded in agreement. "It's probably why he's so aggressive. He feels threatened all the time." 

 

"Oi I can hear you, shitheads!" Yuri snapped, giving the redhead a stink eye. 

 

"Enough, all of you." Yakov demanded, walking up to steps. "Mila, Yuri, unload the carriage. Viktor, show Yuuri to his room." 

 

A chorus of "Yes sir"s were heard as the tension dissipated and everyone went to do what they were assigned to. Viktor motioned for Yuuri to follow him as he also walked up the steps and opened the front door for him. 

 

The inside of the mansion was grand. A large staircase could be seen curling upstairs, its design elegant and classy. The white marble floors and gold accents made the room look very regal. 

 

"Vitya, I see you have returned safely." A woman' s voice rang out. An older lady stood mid step on the staircase before them, her hair in a tight bun and green eyes piercing Yuuri. "You have brought someone?" 

 

"Lilia!" Viktor grinned, "Yes, this is Yuuri. He is going to be my assistant." 

 

"I see." Lilia replied as she assessed Yuuri again. "Yuuri, we expect great things. Please do your best." 

 

"Ah, Y-yes ma'am." Yuuri flushed under her gaze. 

 

"Anyway, Yuuri, lets get you to your room, yes?" Viktor took his attention again, leading him up the stairs. 

 

_______________ 

 

"Your room is right here on the left." Viktor pointed to a simple door. "That door over there is my room, so if you ever need me, I'm nearby." 

 

Yuuri nodded, opening the door to his new room and gasping at the size of it. It was much larger than his room back in his village. There was a large canopy bed in the center of the room, its curtains and bed set a deep crimson. A mirror and dresser was off to one side of the room, and a small sitting area next to a large window made the room look complete and homey. 

 

"We picked up some clothing when we were in town the other day." Viktor pointed to the crate next to the dresser. "You can pick out what you like, and we can tailor it to work with your wings." 

 

"Okay." Yuuri made his way over to the crate. Inside was an assortment of different tunics and shirts, along with different types of trousers and pants. As he started sorting through, Viktor made himself comfortable on the bed. 

 

"I used to be a slave too, you know." 

 

Yuuri sputtered, dropping the shirt he had in his hand. 

 

"Seriously?" 

 

"Believe it or not." Viktor gave a sad smile. "I was a slave up until about a year ago. Yakov had taken me in at a young age, but the kingdom has only just recently passed the law that allows slave owners to release their slaves from their slavery." 

 

"Yet there are still slave trappers?" 

 

"The world is still an ugly place Yuuri." Viktor leaned against the headboard, a sigh emitting from him. "Yakov is one of few that would willingly release a slave, and buy slaves for the sole purpose of releasing them." 

 

"And I was chosen for this?" 

 

"Yes, but the law states that you have to work a certain amount of time as a slave before you can be released." Viktor informed him. "But Yakov already plans to treat you as if you are already free as long as we are on his property. 

 

He won't treat you badly elsewhere, but there is certain rules we have to adhere by so that you won't get hurt or captured again." 

 

"I see." Yuuri finished sorting through the clothing. "These are the ones I want." 

 

"Okay. I'll get these to the tailor and get them ready for you as soon as I can." Viktor chirped, gathering the clothes. "It's almost night time, so I will probably end up seeing you tomorrow. Goodnight Yuuri." 

 

"Goodnight, Viktor." Yuuri smiled softly as he watched Viktor close the door behind him. He wasn't sure how to feel about his new status, but he thanked the gods above that he had gotten so lucky to have got bought by such kind people. With that warm feeling in his mind, he prepared himself for bed, curling under the blanket and ruffling his wings a bit. 

 

"I wonder what will become of me." Was the last thought that went through Yuuri's mind as he finally drifted off to sleep.


	5. Morning Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shaky start to Yuuri's morning leaves him reminiscing the past, but the present demands his attention as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHO ELSE IS NOT FUCKING READY FOR THE LAST EPISODE OF YOI TOMORROW!!!!!

He was being chased. Yuuri didn’t know why, but his instinct told him to run as fast as he could. The shadows grew as his feeble attempt to flee came close to failure. 

‘Use your wings, you idiot’ 

Oh, right. He had wings, he could get away easily if he wanted to. He flexed the muscles in his back, opening the wings he had nearly forgotten he had. With a tense of his legs, Yuuri pushed up off the ground. He gave his wings a hard flap, before excruciating pain pulled him back down to the ground.

The shadows had gotten him, the feathers and bone on his left wing was being consumed. Burning as if Yuuri was being embraced by acid. The pain was like no other he had felt. An ugly cry tore from his throat. He was being eaten alive. The panic in his chest only intensified the pain.

As the shadows continued to crawl up Yuuri’s body, and he continued to scream until his voice was lost, his mind wandered to the things he would miss once he was gone. All the opportunities that he would never get the chance to take. Finding friends, finding a lover, having a family. It all flashed through Yuuri’s mind in what he believed were his final moments. 

“Yuuri, wake up darling.”

Mom? The gentle motherly voice seemed to make time stop. A beacon of light broke through the shadows consuming Yuuri’s body, causing them to slowly slink away.

“Yuuri, help your sister get ready for breakfast, would you?”

This time it was his father’s voice. Clear as day, the love he knew his family held for him brought more light to the darkness, the shadows becoming more and more sparse.

“Yuuri, no matter what you chose, I’ll support you, okay?”

Mari. His big sister. She would always tease him just a little, but at the end of the day, Yuuri knew that she loved him. He loved her too. 

“Wake up Yuuri.”

Their voices seemed to melt together, continuously chanting, asking him to wake up. Yuuri didn’t understand. Was he not already awake?

“Yuuri, wake up.”

 

Yuuri’s eyes snapped open. His body is shaking, and Yuuri finds himself covered in sweat. Shivering, he glanced out the window to find that it isn’t even sunrise yet, though Yuuri could tell it wasn’t far off.

Looking down at his hands, Yuuri felt tears welling up in his eyes. He choked back a sob as he ran his hands through his hair and down his face. 

His family. He wondered how they were doing. Or if they were even alive anymore. Looking back on the night he was captured, the last he had seen of them was a little before he had met up with Yuko. He never saw or heard them during the raid. While there was hope that they had survived and were also in slavery, or escaped, there was an equal chance that they would have gotten murdered along with some of the others.

Then there was Yuko. Yuuri wasn’t sure what happened to her either. When they ran out of the cave together, Yuuri remembered them being trapped and captured together, but when he came to, she was nowhere to be found. Yuuri assumed she probably got sold into slavery as well. 

Takeshi came to mind as well. Yuuri believed that he was most likely dead. Probably killed while making a diversion for Yuko and himself. A sacrifice that Yuuri wished the man hadn’t made. 

Yuuri also wondered if Vicchan was alive either. It was likely that the poor dog had run off before the attack had started. He had always seemed to be able to sense when a place became dangerous. Yuuri silently hoped for his safety.

While he was lost in thought, Yuuri failed to notice the gentle rap on the door, before it swung open to reveal Viktor’s face.

“Good morning, Yuuri.” Viktor greeted him, his smile faltering when he saw the state the younger male was in. “Are you okay?”

Yuuri blinked, looking up at Viktor, then out the window. He had been thinking for so long that the sun was already peaked over the horizon. 

“I had a nightmare, is all.” Yuuri answered softly, “It’s okay.”

Viktor frowned. He had an inkling that Yuuri must have had to experience something incredibly traumatic before he was sold. It was clear that Yuuri had a lot of healing to do, both physically, and mentally. 

“I don’t think it is, but I’m not going to push it.” Viktor calmly gazed at Yuuri. “I have your uniform tailored. It was the first of the clothes that got adjusted for you.”

Viktor handed over the small bundle of clothes. The dark blue violet hue took Yuuri by surprise. It was very hard to find clothes in this color back home. The flowers that they used for the dye was close to a wolf territory, and they Aveir’s didn’t want to risk injury unless they felt adequately prepared, which wasn’t often.

So more often than not, only higher up, or elder Aveir ever wore the color. It was a privilege. 

“Thank you.” Yuuri accepted the clothes with slight hesitation. “What are we going to be doing today?”

“Well, first we’ll get you something to eat.” Viktor began, “And then I’ll give you a tour of the house, but first I should probably tell you what you’ll be doing from day to day from now on.”

Yuuri nodded. He seemed to forget that he still was technically a slave.

“We will be getting up a little after sunrise. We’ll get breakfast, bathe, whatever you need to do for your morning preparations. Then, its our duty to prepare the studio for classes. That means sweeping and cleaning the floors, cleaning the mirrors, and making sure the equipment is in working order. Things of the like.”

Yuuri nodded. It wasn’t much unlike the things he had to do back home. He was no stranger to house work. Yuuri was simply glad that he hadn’t gotten a master that would have forced him into hard labor. 

“We should get going, breakfast will be ready soon.” Viktor’s voice brought Yuuri back from his thoughts. “Get dressed and meet me downstairs, I’ll show you where the kitchen and dining room is.”

Yuuri nodded, and watched Viktor leave the room before he made any move to get dressed.

 

A few minutes later, Yuuri was dressed, his wings had been preened and cleaned, and his hair brushed. He quickly made his way down the marble staircase, seeing and meeting Viktor at the bottom.

“I was right, it looks good on you, Yuuri.” Viktor hummed in approval of the outfit he had given the younger man. “Right then, this way.”

“Viktor led him away from the staircase and through a sitting room till they reached the kitchen. The smell of baked bread and frying meat filled Yuuri’s nose, and his stomach gurgled in appreciation. 

A flush creeped up Yuuri’s cheeks, but when he glanced at Viktor, a pleasant amused smile was seen.

“I bet you didn’t eat well before we got you.” Viktor said, “Eat as much as you like, we have bread, bacon, eggs. I think Mila made some of her pastries too, if you’re into those.”

“Are they good?”

“My pastries are fantastic, Yuuri.” Mila exclaimed, returning to the kitchen. “I made apple one’s today, try one if you like.”

Yuuri nodded. It did sound delicious. Viktor saw the hunger on Yuuri’s face and chuckled, finally showing Yuuri to the dining room.

“Take a seat and eat, Yuuri.” 

Yuri, Georgi, and Yakov were already seated at the table, plates filled with food. 

“Good morning Viktor, Yuuri.” Yakov greeted them, his voice even more gruff in the morning. 

“Good morning.” Yuuri shyly echoed, taking his seat at the table. He carefully began filling his plate with food when Yakov interrupted him.

“I know it looks good, Yuuri, but try to eat light and slowly.” Yakov told him. “You weren't fed properly in your imprisonment. You don’t want to get sick.”

Yuuri nodded, making sure to be more careful in his choice. When he finally felt he got everything that he wanted on his plate, he looked to Viktor before digging in.

The taste of good food brought Yuuri to tears for the second time that morning.


	6. Sprain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri checks to see if there is any lasting damage done to his wings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the worst writers block right now, so sorry for the shit quality... hopefully I'll be able to get out of this funk soon.

The time it took Yuuri to settle in almost felt like an eternity for him. There had been so many things that needed to be done. He wasn’t sure if he would ever adjust to his new life.

Viktor was there for him though. Not even a week after Yuuri living with him, he did away with Yuuri calling him master in private. Of course he would still have to play his role in public, much to both parties disgust. At least he got a semblance of a normal life when they were on the mansion grounds. 

Yuuri woke early. The sun was just about to peek above the horizon, and the sky looked as if it was being set on fire. Yuuri stumbled out of his bed, and made his way to his dresser where he threw on the first thing he grabbed. Without a second thought, he was out the door. 

Lilia and Yakov were the only ones up when Yuuri made his way down the stairs. Both looked tired, but went about prepping for the day without paying much mind to Yuuri. I brief glance and an affirming nod was all he got before he made his way out the front door.

The garden had quickly became on of Yuuri’s favorite places. The others rarely went in it, so it gave Yuuri a place to hide out whenever he felt anxious or upset. There were plenty of plants around that Yuuri could hide behind should someone come by.

Thinking back to the days of his capture, one of his wings had been sprained multiple times. He worried that it hadn’t healed correctly, and if that was the case, he wouldn’t be able to fly again. 

Flying was one of the things that Yuuri treasured more than anything else. Whenever he was anxious, he would glide around the mountain that he lived on. The wind lifting his body with the currents and not having to put much thought into what he was doing had always calmed him. It was his escape. 

Yuuri tentatively flexed out his wings, feeling out the muscles in them carefully. He felt a slight twinge in his left shoulder. The muscle there was pulled. It ached pretty badly. He passed his hand down his feathers, stretching out each wing as far as he could handle.

There wasn’t any sharp pains, which was a good sign, but the setting ache meant that Yuuri wouldn’t be flying any time soon. His wings weren't in very good condition. To make matters worse, no one in the mannor knew anything about Aveir medicine. He had to care for himself the best he could for now, and silently hope that there wouldn’t come a time where he would absolutely need to use his wings. 

A bark broke Yuuri’s thoughts. A large brown poodle bound towards the unsuspecting male, knocking him over and covering Yuuri in sloppy kisses. A laugh broke out of Yuuri, his arms instinctively coming up to shield his face. 

“Makkachin, no!” Viktor called soon after, rounding the corner of the secluded area Yuuri had been sitting in to see his dog enthusiastically kissing Yuuri.

“H-Hey, stop.” Yuuri squealed, laughing harder and trying his best to get the large dog off of him. 

“Makkachin!” Viktor called sharply again, finally getting the poodle’s attention. With a happy bark, Makkachin bounced away from Yuuri and sat down at Viktor’s feet, tail wagging rapidly.

“Sorry about that. He’s usually better behaved.” Viktor apologized, reaching a hand down to help Yuuri up. 

“It’s no problem. It was adorable.” Yuuri wiped his cheek of the slobber. “I actually used to have a companion of the same type.”

“You had a dog?” 

“Yeah, his name was Vicchan.” Yuuri smiled sadly. “I don’t know what happened to him after the raid. He probably didn’t make it.”

Viktor offered Yuuri an apologetic smile, placing a hand on his shoulder. He knew that he couldn’t press for details. From his own experience, getting captured for slavery was traumatizing. He himself wasn’t able to really openly talk about what he had gone through until years later. He, like Yuuri, was one of the lucky ones that hadn't gotten a cruel master. It had allowed him to heal, and he hoped it would do the same for Yuuri. 

“What are you doing out here so early anyway?” Viktor asked, peering down at Yuuri.

“I was checking my wings.” Yuuri replied. “One of them got sprained when I was captured, so I haven’t been able to fly. I didn’t know if they had healed correctly or not.”

“Oh.” Viktor glanced at Yuuri’s chocolate colored plumage. The feathers had slowly risen up, instinctively curling around the Aveir boy, making him look larger. “Are they okay?”

“I have a few pulled muscles, so I won’t be able to fly for a little while, but I think they healed okay.” Yuuri mused, flexing a wing out again.

Viktor hadn’t really noticed how large the wings were compared to the rest of Yuuri’s body. They had to be at least two times the size of Yuuri, some of the primary feathers even trailed along the ground when Yuuri stood and walked. Viktor supposed they would have to be that large to carry Yuuri in the air. 

“I’ll make sure to keep anything I have you do less strenuous so that you can recover quicker.” Viktor offered. “I would love to see you be able to fly soon, so I’ll have you observe the classes until you feel they are healed.”

Yuuri looked at Viktor, his expression unreadable for a moment before tears welled up in his eyes. Viktor panicked for a second before Yuuri gave him one of the most warm smiles he had ever seen.

“Thank you, Viktor.” Yuuri choked out. “I’ll make sure to do everything I can until then.”

Viktor nodded with a smile of his own, before suggesting that they get ready for the classes that they had this afternoon.

“I know this is the first class that you’ve seen, so I want you to just watch and get everything that you can. Take it easy. I want to make sure you’re comfortable with what you’ll have to do eventually.” Viktor told him as they made their way back to the mannor.

“For this class, we only have three students. Megan is the oldest, they’re 19. They’re excellent at expressing emotion into their dance, but have a bit of an issue with the technical parts. They make up for it with enthusiasm.” Viktor listed off the rest of the students. “Next we have Tarou. He’s 14, and is good at perfecting difficult dances, although we have to hold him back some because of his developing body.”

“Are they all young?” Yuuri asked.

“Just this one class. They aren’t that much younger than the main class, in face Megan might be moving up here soon.” 

“Ah, okay. Who’s the last student?” 

“Oh, that would be Agnès. She’s 18, and talented with expression as well.” Viktor told him. “But her step sequences are the most eye catching thing about her dances.”

“I’m excited to see them then.” Yuuri hummed before starting to make his way up the front steps and opening the door for Viktor. 

“Shall we get something to eat then?” Viktor offered. “I don’t want you doing anything on an empty stomach. Food is always available for you here, please remember that.”

Viktor remembered how it had been when he was first caught, and how his first master had been. Food was kept from them as punishment, and Viktor had always felt a deep hunger in is body. Now that he was with Yakov, food was there for everyone to eat, should they want it. It was one of the ways that Yakov helped the slaves that he bought to free.

It always took a while for the trust to build, but everyone came around eventually when they realized that Yakov meant what he promised. It was a new home for all of them, and Viktor had always been grateful. Hopefully Yuuri would be able to come to some sort of peace with his fate as well.

“Yes, let's go eat, food sounds great.” Yuuri nodded eagerly, his stomach letting loose a fierce growl. Yuuri’s eyes widened and a dark flush creeped up his face. Viktor only laughed and led the way to the kitchen.


	7. Woes of the World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Viktor's students, and then plan a little trip to the market.

“One two three, one two three.” Viktor counted out, clapping his hands to the beat. “Megan, your left leg needs to be raised a bit higher than that.”

 

“Yes sir.” The teen called out, lifting their leg a bit higher.

 

“Perfect, now let's try again.” The three 

students went back to their starting position, waiting for the  [ music ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSvxE5eIUIQ&list=PLTKAGK1OyJ4No6n-6VSxVT9ZN9k0IYXTI&index=2) to start over. As the first few gentle notes floated through the practice room, Agnès began to dance, lifting her arms slowly over her head before making a half turn and swooping down into a forward bow. Her fingers skimmed the floor before she drew herself back up. 

 

“Please try to make that bow a bit smoother.” Viktor called out, shifting his gaze to the last student. “Tarou, your presence is being snuffed out. You need to draw a little more attention to yourself. Don’t be afraid to put your emotions into your movement.”

 

Tarou nodded, putting his weight onto his left leg, before crossing his left arm diagonally from his adjacent hip, to the air near his head. A somber look graced his face as he tilted his head to the side and his right arm came up to cross over to his left shoulder. He quickly moved his arms into a T pose, before his right foot came up, pointed to his left inner thigh.

 

“Good job, that’s much better.” Viktor praised his student for his effort to change the quality of his performance. “Now Megan, lets see what you have so far.”

 

Megan quickly put themselves into their starting position. A single rotated spin on their left leg, right leg bent and braced against their left thigh, turned into a side dip with both arms stretched wide, weight on their right leg, and left leg pointed out to the side. They slowly rose back up before lightly placing both hands against their chest before turning clockwise twice, shifting their weight onto their right leg, and lifting their left leg up into a perfect 90 degree angle. 

 

“Fantastic. Good job fixing that leg.” Viktor complimented the dancer. “I think that’s about it for today guys. Fantastic job. We made great progress.”

 

The three students thanked Viktor in unison.

 

“Before you guy’s leave, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Viktor motioned for Yuuri to come out from the viewing room. “This is Yuuri, he is going to be my assistant from now on. I expect you to treat him with respect and dignity.” 

 

“It’s nice to meet you all.” Yuuri shyly greeted.

 

“Viktor, he has wings!” Tarou exclaimed. 

 

“Yes, he does.” Viktor calmly responded. “Please speak to him though, not through me.”

 

“Yuuri, why do you have wings?” The young boy asked.

 

Because I’m an Aveir.” Yuuri responded, not sure how to handle the situation. 

 

“Oh, I remember.” Megan suddenly spoke. “Those savage traffickers attacked a village in the mountains a few months ago.”

 

Yuuri flinched at the sudden reminder. 

 

“Yes, that was my village.” He poke softly, trying not to let his emotions slip into his voice.

 

“Oh no, forgive me.” Megan gasped, hand covering their mouth. “That was so insensitive of me, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Peace, Megan.” Viktor calmed them. “Please be careful about what you say next time. You never know what might be a sensitive subject to others.”

 

Megan nodded, lowering their head in shame. 

 

“It’s still a fresh wound to me.” Yuuri agreed quietly. “Thank you for apologizing though.”

 

“Please tell me how I can make it up to you.” Megan told Yuuri before turning to gather their things. As the other students filed out to head home, Yuuri began to pick up the random pieces of equipment that they had used for that day. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Megan approach Viktor, speak with him for a moment, and then head out. 

 

When he finished, Yuuri asked Viktor what the interaction was about, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

 

“Megan can't afford the lessons anymore. Apparently their parents disowned them and now their trying to find a place to live for the time being.” Viktor looked tense. “I told them to speak with Yakov, he might be willing to help.”

 

“That’s horrible.” Yuuri gasped softly. “What kind of parents do that?”

 

“The kind that aren’t biological, and don’t care for a child who like’s women instead of men.” Viktor responded with resentment in his voice. “By conservative standards, they’re a woman as well, but Megan asked to not be referred to as one. This was the only place that respected that. Now that they have nowhere to live and are stopping their lessons, I’m a bit worried.”

 

Yuuri had nothing that he could say. It seemed that everyone had their own struggles. No one really knew what one was going through. A sentiment he understood well. 

 

“We need to head to the market today.” Viktor broke the silence. “The kitchen is becoming a bit bare.”

 

“I’m coming with you then?” Yuuri asked.

 

“Yes, Yuri and Mila are coming too. We’ll need some extra hands to carry things.” Viktor said, finishing locking up the studio. 

  
  
  
  


They ended up taking the spare wagon to the market. The trip there and back was too far to carry everything, Viktor said, and they had a lot to get. 

 

He and Viktor sat up front, reigns in Viktor’s hands. Yuri and Mila sat in the back of the wagon, Mila antagonizing Yuri over something by the sounds of Yurio’s shrieks.

 

“Mila, dont tease him too much.” Viktor laughed. “We still need his help.”

 

“Aww, but he’s so cute when he’s mad!” Mila whined.

 

“I’m  _ not _ cute!” Yuri growled, his ears going flat on his head. When Yuuri looked back at the two, he noticed Yuri’s tail was flicking back and forth rapidly. He smiled, Yuri really was just like a cat.”

 

“Hey fatso, what are you smirking at?” Yuri snarled.

 

Yuuri blinked, staring at Yuri in confusion. 

 

“Fatso?”

 

“Yeah, Fatso.” 

 

“I’m not fat though?” 

 

“No, you’re fucking huge, with your wings and all that shit.”

 

“But I can’t help that!” Yuuri protested. “The bulk is muscle by the way. I need it to be able to fly.” 

 

“You still look huge.”

 

“Yuri, enough.” Viktor snapped, breaking the tension between the two. “There’s no reason for you to be so rude.”

 

“Whatever.” Yuri sniffed, turning away with a pout. 

 

“Is he always like that?” Yuuri asked Viktor quietly.

 

“Yeah. He’s been like that since we took him in.” Viktor answered, “He’s always been on edge since I’ve first met him. When he came in he was screaming something about his grandpa, but after he calmed down we couldn’t get anything out of him.”

 

“So no one knows what happened.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

Yuuri sat back in his seat, his gaze wandering to the passing landscape that flew by. Yuri couldn’t be any older than fifteen or so. He was so young, but it wasn’t like that traffickers cared about age. Anyone would do as long as they profited. Yuuri had seen children even younger than Yuuri get sold. Like the twelve year old girl that he shared a cage with when he was first captured. Elizabeth was her name. 

 

Her mother had been a prostitute, having 7 other daughters by different men. When the harem she was working at started to go under, she and her sisters were sold into slavery to keep it running. Yuuri was still disgusted by that even now. 

 

“We should be arriving soon.” Viktor’s voice brought Yuuri from his thoughts. “Mila, you’ll come with me to get the liquids, Yuuri and Yuri, you two will be getting our dry ingredients.”

 

“Why do I have to go with the bird?” Yuri scoffed. 

 

“You have to go with  _ Yuuri _ because you know where they are, and because the other things we need to get will be heavier than the dry.” Viktor corrected him with a glare.

 

“Fine.” Yuri curled his lip in distaste, but said nothing more.

 

“Now, we will meet up at the town square around an hour before sundown. If anything happens, stay in the square or find Celestino. He’ll shelter you until I can get there.”

 

“Who’s Celestino?” Yuuri asked.

 

“A friend of Yakov’s. Since he’s well know to be a slave freer, some people will try to attack us. If that happens, Yuri will help you find him.”

 

Yuuri nodded, stealing a glance at Yuri. His somber expression told him that this plan had to have been used before. With the freedom they were granted by Yakov as technical slaves, came danger when they weren't in his safety. What a cruel world. 

 

Yuri caught Yuuri’s eye and gave him a nod. Yuuri nodded back, and directed his attention back to Viktor. At least he knew that they younger boy was serious about this. He could count on him. 

 

“Now, when we get there, I’ll give you the list of things we need.” Viktor told them. “Try to gather it quickly so we can get back before sunset, understood?”

 

A chorus of yesses were heard. Viktor smiled, turning his attention back to the road. Hopefully this trip would end without a hitch. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT WON'T LMAO
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has supported me with this fic. It means so much.


	8. Bloodlust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri and Yuri find most of their items before a friendly warning reaches them. Meanwhile Viktor and Mila sense something is amiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got to go ice skating, and actually bought my own skates. Only problem is now my body aches and I'm finna hit that die. 
> 
> Talk to me on tumblr: [alphaweeb.tumblr.com](http://www.alphaweeb.tumblr.com)

The market was crowded when the group arrived. People could be seen rushing about as far as the eye could see. Many stalls were lined with goods of all kinds. From fine metal work, to spices and weapons. There was a crowd of people at almost every stall. 

In the middle was a huge fountain. The statues in the middle depicted the creation of the kingdom, the conqueror being in the center surrounded by other humans. What irked Yuuri the most was the fact that under the human’s feet, were shapeshifters, and other animal humanoid hybrids. At the very bottom, the Aveir, the weight of the other’s being stepped on and the humans crushing their wings. Yuuri was so disgusted that he had to turn away. 

“Wow, that’s just nasty.” Yuri’s blunt statement caught Yuuri’s attention. “I’ve never noticed the fountain before, but that… that’s just wrong.”

“That’s probably because we always came in a different way and never got real close to it.” Mila supplied. “Besides, that doesn’t even accurately depict how the kingdom was formed.”

“What do you mean?” Yuuri asked.

“Well, most shapeshifters know that it was our people, you and Yuri included, that formed the alliance with the mages to create a kingdom of equality.” Mila began, “But that guy you see there in the middle. He was an usurper. When he overtook the throne, he rewrote and destroyed all records of the true formation. Now it’s only word to mouth in small communities. Most don’t even know the true story anymore.” 

“I’m sure you can speak about this another time.” Viktor interrupted them. “As much as I know this subject bothers you, if anyone hears you talking about it, you’ll get killed.”

Mila nodded, her face showing disdain, but obeying nonetheless. Yuri could only turn his glare away from Viktor, also not wanting to openly defy him. Yuuri simply stared at Viktor in confusion. His tribe’s seclusion must have kept them out of the loop with things, since he had no idea what they were talking about. 

“Now, Yuuri, Yuri, here’s the list of things you need to buy. This purse should have enough coin to buy what we need, given the prices haven’t inflated since last time.” Viktor handed Yuuri the purse, and Yuri the list. “Mila and I will be getting the rest. Remember what I told you on the way here?”

“If anything happens, go to the square, or find Celestino.” Yuri recited, a small huff ending his sentence. 

“Good.” Viktor nodded. “Now, you all need to put these bracelets on.”

Reaching into his satchel. Viktor pulled out three leather wristlets. Silver designs swirled about, creating the illusion of people dancing. In the center was a single sapphire, the dancing figure seemingly holding it up to the sky.

“These should protect you from anyone trying to snatch people to sell. They are enchanted so that the person who put them on, is the only one who can take them off.” Viktor explained, handing Yuri and Mila’s bracelets to them, and latching Yuuri’s on. “Unfortunately, they signify your status as slaves. So while you might not get kidnapped, you will most likely be treated somewhat badly.” 

“I hate these things.” Yuri growls, ears flattening against his head. 

“We all do, Yura, but if we want to protect our freedom that Yakov gives us, we need to wear them.” Mila sympathized. “These are a small price to pay for the way we are treated back home. We should count ourselves lucky.”

Yuri only curled his lip in further disgust, but said nothing. Once Viktor was finishing clasping all of their bracelets on, he gave one final run through their plan. In and out, move as quickly as possible.

“Remember, meet here as soon as you’re done, or an hour before sundown if you aren't.”

 

The crowd made Yuuri uneasy. It was something he dealt with all his life. Luckily for him, he had lived in was relatively small. Still, it never really stopped Yuuri from panicking when around a large number of people. Over the years, his family had taught him breathing techniques and other things to help control the amount of panic he would face. In, out, in out.

“Calm down fatso. I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere.” Yuri gave what Yuuri figured was his own type of reassurance. The thought warmed Yuuri. 

“Thank you.” The elder whispered, walking a bit closer to his companion. 

“Okay, we need to get black pepper, basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, cumin,” Yuri started listing off the herbs they needed. “Also some salt, garlic, ginger, tarragon, thyme, and rosemary. Oh, and flour.”

“So, mostly the flour is going to be the heaviest?” Yuuri asked.

“I guess so. Viktor didn’t really say how much to get.”

“I guess we’ll go with the standard amount they sell.” Yuuri guessed. “If nothing, we just could go with our gut.”

“Seems okay.” Yuri replied, spotting the first shop they needed. “We’ll get the flour last so we don’t have to lug it around the whole time.”

“That way we won’t get tired. Good idea.” Yuuri was impressed. “I do hope we can find everything. I don't want to have to make a second trip just because we didn't find something.”

“We'll keep looking till we find it then.” The pair cautiously entered the shop, the strong scent of different spices filled the air. Yuri wrinkled his nose, the smell too strong for him. 

“Welcome.” A young voice called out. A small burnette peeked his head over the top of the front counter. “I’m Guang Hong, what can I get for you?”

“Hello, um, Guang Hong. We’re looking for these herbs.” Yuuri greeted. 

“Of course, I’ll get them for you.” The boy scampered off after taking the list from Yuri. 

Taking a moment to look around, Yuuri noticed several hanging plants and potted plants littered throughout the shop. It seemed that the owner grew his own herbs, instead of getting them imported. The room’s windows were open and full of different herbs strung up and drying in the hot air. 

“This should be everything.” Guang Hong returned with a arm full of pouches. “It’ll come out to about 15 silver, will that do?”

“That should be fine, thank you.” Yuuri fished out the necessary coins for the purse Viktor had given him. 

“Between me and you two though.” The boy suddenly dropped his voice and leaned in. “There’s been some men around town the last few days that have been picking fights with anyone wearing a crest. I had issues with them just the other day.”

“Do you think they’re still around?” Yuri asked.

“Can’t say for sure, but watch your back. You never know who’s lurking around hidden corners.” Guang Hong gave the pair a sympathetic smile before straightening up again. “If you ever need more herbs, feel free to stop by here again though. You’re the first customers I’ve had today that didn’t try to start anything.”

“We’ll make sure to keep that in mind, thank you.” Yuuri beamed, gathering their purchases and looking to Yuri. “Now we just need the flour, right?”

 

On the other side of the market, Viktor and Mila were having some trouble finding the things that Yakov had requested. 

“What do we even need mangosteen juice for anyway?” Mila asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

“No idea, maybe Lilia wants it. I’ve heard it's quite good.”

“I hope we find it soon though. Vinegar and wine is easy enough to find, but juic-”

“Shh, Mila look.” Viktor stopped abruptly, eyes sharp. “Do you feel that?”

Mila paused for a moment. Her ears flicked back and a snarl could be heard low in her throat.

“Blood lust.” She spat, her eyes constricting to pin points. “But for what reason?” 

“I don’t know, but be on guard. Any sign of danger, we will need to find both Yuri’s.”

“Right.” Mila acknowledged, looking around the market another time. Nothing jumped out at the moment, but the pair couldn’t help the tense sense of dread filling them with every step. What ever was causing that reaction shouldn’t be taken lightly. 

Viktor just hopes nothing bad happens before he can do anything about it.


	9. Isoleclio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Yuris find the source of malintent, and in a back against the wall confrontation, we get a peek as to what Yakov's school is truly meant for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I have any fucking idea where I'm going with this story? The answer is no, no I don't. Please save me from my own personal hell.

The stench of sweat and thrumming noises of the busy afternoon crowd assaulted Yuri. He didn’t like being this cramped up in one area. People were fine and all, but too many in one area led to be overwhelming sometimes. 

One thing that seemed to catch the boy’s attention was the subtle sense that something wasn’t right. It had been bothering Yuri since the warning at the herb shop. Ever since then, he felt eyes on them, watching, following. 

‘Stay alert’ he told himself. ‘I can sense anyone sneaking up on us far better than the pig can.’

It didn’t calm him any. The unsettling feeling persisted, and with it, Yuri grew more irate. Every noise, every scent, every movement. It was all becoming too much.

Luckily, Yuuri picked up on what was happening. 

“Yuri, let find a quiet place to rest, I’m getting tired.” Yuuri offered, pulling the blonde off to the side and down a path that led to the tree line. From behind the stalls of the market, the noise was more muted and the pair were out of sight from most people.

“Are you alright?” Yuuri asked, concern laced in his voice. It was almost natural to him. Like he had been in this situation before. That sense caused Yuri to not immediately snap at him. 

“It was too much.” Yuri gasped. “The noise, the smell…” He trailed off, not having the energy to continue talking. 

“It felt like your senses were being overloaded?” The question was rhetorical, Yuuri knew exactly what Yuri had just gone through, so all the younger boy did was nod.

Yuuri let out a knowing hum, but didn’t press Yuri to speak. The silence between them was comfortable. Nothing was forced or rushed. Each party could take their time to speak up.

They stayed like this for a while before Yuuri tensed up in the corner of Yuri’s eye. Yuri slightly turned his head to fully see what Yuuri was doing when he noticed the focused look on the man’s face.

“Isn’t that Megan?” Yuuri asked suddenly. 

Yuri followed Yuuri’s gaze to catch a glimpse of someone who looked like them. The same build and short reddish brown hair cut. They seemed panicked, trying to slip away into the woods. 

“What are they doing?” Yuuri couldn’t tell if Yuri was curious, or something else. The tone he had used was somewhere between demeaning and curious. 

“I’m not sure. Should we follow?” Yuuri asked.

“I dunno…” Yuri trailed off. 

“Part of me says that their business is none of ours, but another tells me that they might be in trouble.” Yuuri contemplated. “Do you sense anything?”

“No, but I do see someone following them.” Yuri’s blunt statement made Yuuri turn his head back to the direction they had saw Megan go. 

A cloaked figure was trailing in the direction they had seen the person go. With just a look, Yuuri could tell that they oozed danger. 

“I don’t know if we should follow them, we might not be strong enough.” Yuuri whispered. 

“Probably not.” Yuri replied, his ears flat against his head. “How quiet can you be, pig?” 

“What do you mean?”

“We pretty much got about four options.” Yuri began. “The first two is either us both following mystery cloak man, or us both going to find Celestino. The other two is one of us going to find Celestino and the other following Megan’s stalker.”

Yuuri considered the facts he was given. If he wanted to help Viktor’s student, they would have to be careful as to not draw the attention of their stalker. If they were seen at the wrong time, Megan could get hurt, or either of them could. Both options were undesirable. 

“I can be quiet when I follow people.” Yuuri pondered outloud. “Though you would be a more optimal option, I’m afraid I don’t know where Celestino lives or what he looks like. I wouldn’t be able to find him quick enough.”

“Fair point.” Yuri agreed. “Alright, you trail them, and I’ll get help.”

Yuuri nodded. With a final warning to not be seen, Yuri raced out from their spot behind the market stalls. With the younger of the two gone, Yuuri was left to track down and tail the man following Viktor’s student.

 

As Yuuri stealthly followed Megan’s assailant, he mentally began memorizing their qualities for later reference. The figure was bulky, tall with a lopsided gait. Yuuri couldn’t see the person’s face due to the cloak covering most of his upper body. Yuuri could pick out a short sword strapped to the man’s hip. It worried him.

Yuuri couldn’t see Megan, which gave him the clue that they were either several paces ahead of them, or hiding already, should they have sensed that they were being followed. Yuuri desperately hoped for the latter. 

The area became more thickly wooded. Large trees with thorns on the trunk, Yuuri could identify as Honey Locust trees. The spacing between each tree was becoming smaller, and Yuuri’s sight of the stalker was becoming more and more obstructed. 

Suddenly, the assailant sped up. He weaved through the trees, leaving Yuuri’s sight before a shrill scream was heard from several yards away.

 

Yuri raced as fast as he could. Weaving through the crowds that seemed to become more and more dense as his panic increased. He had to find Celestino as quickly as possible, should Yuuri and Megan both be in danger. 

Yuri realized that he seemed harsh and uncaring on the outside. It was something that came naturally to him when he was separated from his family when he was younger. He grew distant and unapproachable. It wasn’t on purpose. He just didn’t feel like he could trust anyone. Not after everything that had happened. 

Deep down, he did care for everyone at Yakov’s place. Even in they were incredibly annoying at times. Not only that, but the three students in Viktor’s class were always kind to him. Tarou, who was a year younger than him, would always want to mess with the older students. Agnès was quiet, and though Yuri didn’t interact with her much, the fact that she never bothered or teased him gave her his respect.

Then there was Megan. They had been a student at the dance school when Yuri first arrived. They didn’t approach him right off the bat. They gave him space, but was still around should he need anything. At some point when Yuri had finally calmed down enough to want to reach out to someone, Megan had been there for him. He remembered sitting down and just letting all of the weight on his chest go. Megan had just listened, lending their ear and a shoulder to lean on. It meant a lot to Yuri.

It was the only thing that drove Yuri to race through the loud stuffy crowd of people he was just trying to avoid moments earlier. 

With a final turn, Yuri arrived at the door he remembered Celestino living. With a frantic knock on the door, he backed up a few steps and bounced in anticipation. 

A man with the features of a clouded leopard answered the door. His silver eyes scanned Yuri down before a friendly smile graced his face. 

“What can I do for you?” His voice was slightly accented. 

“Is Celestino in?” Yuri wasted no time cutting to the chase. He had no time for pleasantries. 

“Of course, he’s in the back. Come on in.” The man stepped to the side, giving Yuri the room to step into the home. 

The man in question appeared from a back room, wiping his hands off with a rag.

“Yuri, what brings you here?” Celestino’s accent was different from the man who opened the door, but it was still noticeable. 

“I need your help.” Yuri demanded. “It’s urgent.”

 

“What do you want?” Megan’s voice only slightly shook. Their determination to seem strong was being pushed to the limit by the sharp thorns of the tree digging into their back. 

“We both know that you’ve been conspiring against the monarchy. Along with that damned ‘school’ you attend.” The voice that replied was gravely with misuse. 

“What are you talking about?” Megan asked. 

“Don’t play coy with me, girl. You know damn well what I’m talking about.”

Megan clicked their tongue at the misgendering, but didn’t call attention to it. They were clearly backed into a corner, one seemingly with no way out. 

“You’ll have to elaborate.” they retorted, voice full of snark. 

“You’ve been learning magic.” The figure replied. “And since the teaching and learning of magic was banned by the king over twenty years ago, the fact that you know it is treason to the crown.”

Megan’s eyes narrowed. If they were to get out of this, they may have to majorly injure or kill this man. The question was if they were ready to take that step. 

“I have no idea what you speak of.” 

“I speak of treason, Megan Marie Elaine Wendel Wohlers of Alesnia. Treason punishable by death.” The figure announced, drawing his short sword. “Your judgment is now, and your punishment is death. Prepare yourself.”

Megan tensed, their body instinctively forming a defensive form. It seemed that they didn’t have a choice in the matter anymore. It was now kill or be killed. With a deep breath, they gathered the strength they had left at their disposal. 

The air around them grew cold, and with one last look of determination, Megan opened their mouth, and the strength they had gathered was released all at once. 

“Isoleclio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dunno if you could tell (you probably can) but Isoleclio is an ice spell... woah, shocker.
> 
> Also dat Phichit cameo there. Don't worry guys, he'll be in the next chapter, and a major part of the series, so you'll get to see lots of him :D


	10. Leap

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help finally arrives, but will it be in time?

On the other side of the market, Viktor and Mila had finally finished with their shopping. The jugs were heavy to carry, so Mila had suggested that they drop them off at the wagon before heading to the fountain to meet up with Yuuri and Yuri. 

The sun was due to set in a half hour, so they had to be quick. Viktor wanted to get back to the school before sundown, and the trip back would eat up all of the time they had allotted. The plan was to get back right as the sun was setting.

Luck, however, was not on their side today. The evening crowd was beginning to disperse, but as mothers and children emptied the streets, more unsavory people began to show their face. Drunkards that had spent the day at the tavern, had one too many drinks and ended up getting kicked out for causing too much ruckus. 

They enjoyed harassing the people who passed by, and often opted to either try to steal their belongings, or trip them. A few had tried with Viktor and Mila, but their training in dance allowed them to gracefully dodge out of the way. It still made the trip to the wagon longer though. 

“I’m so tired.” Mila sighed in relief as the wagon came into view. “I didn’t think it would be as busy as it was today.”

“Well, there were a lot of sales going on.” Viktor offered. “It’s a surefire way to attract customers.”

Mila nodded in agreement. The jugs of vinegar and wine were becoming dead weights in her arms. She rushed to set them into the back of their wagon, relief etched into her face as she stretched her arms above her head. 

“Thank the gods I don’t have to carry that anymore.” She said, stepping to the side so that Viktor could also drop off the goods he was carrying. 

“They do get heavy after awhile.” Viktor agreed. “We should hurry back, Yuuri and Yuri should be done by now. We don’t want to keep them waiting.”

The pair hadn’t gotten very far before a frantic looking man with round grey eyes stopped them in their tracks. Huffing for breath, the person took a moment to compose themselves before looking up with the utmost urgency in their eyes. 

“Are you Viktor?” The man asked.

“Who’s asking?” Viktor was on guard. 

“I’m Phichit, I’m Celestino’s apprentice.” Phichit greeted quickly before going back to his original reason. “You need to hurry, Yuri came to us saying that he and his winged friend saw one of your students being followed by someone suspicious. He seems to think they’re in danger.”

“Did he saw which one?” Viktor asked, growing worry on his face. 

“Megan, I think.” Phichit replied.

Viktor’s face grew dark. He had an inkling of an idea as to why someone would want to follow them. Megan had been in a house of nobility before their family had disowned them. Their family had been well known for their magic, though Megan hadn't shown signs of magic until well into their late teens. Viktor had been secretly integrating techniques into their dance routine that would help them with their form for spell casting. 

“Where do we need to go?” Viktor demanded.

“Follow me.”

 

Yuri was lucky that his senses were heightened due to his race. He wasn’t sure what he was exactly, just that it was some type of cat. Whatever it was, the benefits were much appreciated at the moment. 

After Yuri had left Yuuri to trail the stalker, he had raced to where he had remembered Celestino living. Luckily he remembered correctly, and was able to hatch out a plan of action with the older man. 

He and Celestino were to backtrack and find where Yuuri had followed Megan and their stalker, while the other boy (who he now knew as Phichit) was to go and find Viktor to aid them. Yuri hoped that Phichit would find Viktor and Mila in time, he had a feeling they would need his help. 

As he followed the scent trail Yuuri had left behind. They had come to an agreement that Yuuri was to try and make noticeable signs as to which direction he went so that finding him later would be easier. He had done well enough that Yuri wasn’t having much trouble following him.

“Are they nearby?” Celestino asked, keeping good pace with Yuri. 

“I think so, they couldn’t have gone much further.” Yuri replied. “With the pace we’re making we should catch up with them quickly.”

As he said those words, the air around them chilled considerably, before a rush of energy blew past them. Yuri sped up his pace. Something wasn’t right. The pair breached the trees lining to see large penitentes pointed in multiple directions. Ice and frost covered the surrounding area, making the sudden appearance of the ice all the more disturbing. 

Yuri looked around the area to see if anyone was around, only to find Yuuri peeking from behind a tree a few yards away. Once their eyes met, Yuri had a feeling that things were going to become more complicated. 

“What happened here?” Yuri demanded, making his way over to the older man. 

“The guy following Megan caught up and cornered them.” Yuuri began, “They started arguing and at some point the guy said something about learning magic, and that it was treason to the king. He drew his short sword to attack Megan, but they said something strange and all of this ice appeared.” 

“I see.” Celestino joined in. “Did you happen to catch a glimpse of his face?”

“No, I didn’t.” Yuuri replied before realizing there was a new person in their party. “I’m sorry, I’m afraid I don’t know who you are.”

“Celestino, Yuri came and fetched me saying there was some trouble.” Celestino greeted. “I see now that it just might be more complicated than that. Hopefully Phichit finds Viktor soon.”

“More importantly, Yuuri. Did you see where they went?” Yuri asked.

“No, the ice just appeared moments ago, but when the initial blow hit, they were gone.” Yuuri replied. 

“That’s not good.” Celestino murmured. “We need to keep moving, hopfull-.”

He was cut off by a sudden high pitched scream. A distressing one that caused Yuri’s ears to lie flat against his head, and for Yuuri’s feathers to raise in defense. 

“It came from that way.” Yuri moved quickly forward in the direction he heard the scream come from. They didn’t have to run far before they came upon Megan and the hooded figure. 

The man had them pinned down on the ground, his short sword stabbed through Megan’s shoulder. Megan was stock still under the man, not daring to move less they worsen the wound they had received. One wrong move would mean certain death. 

“Megan!” Yuri called out, moving closer.

“Don’t move any further.” The man’s rough voice sliced the air. Grabbing them by the hair, the man hauled Megan onto their feet, backing into the trees again. 

Yuuri suddenly realized something. While he had been following the man, he hadn’t noticed how the land had slowly raised. The realization didn’t come to him until he saw the sudden drop the man was leading Megan to. 

“Any of you take one more step and I’m throwing this bitch off.” The man demanded, forcibly removing his sword from their shoulder. Megan let out a grunt of pain, but made an effort to stay quiet. 

They were cornered. With few options, they either left Megan with their assailant, or ran the risk of them being thrown off the edge. Both options were not optimal. 

“What are we going to do?” Yuuri whispered, panic seeping into his voice. 

“Give me a moment, Yuuri. I can see if I can cast a distance spell that will hit him, but not your friend.” Celestino supplied in a hushed tone. “The only problem is making sure I don’t hit the captive.”

Yuri frowned. This was really bad. Were they to fail, it would spell certain death. But if they succeeded, they would be able to save Megan before they got too seriously hurt. 

“If Viktor were here he would be able to do something without any risk.” Yuri muttered. 

“But he isn’t, and we need to take action.” Yuuri sighed. 

“I’m going to fire the spell, prepare for him attacking one of us or throwing your friend. In any case, we have to be prepared to get hurt. It looks like it’s unavoidable if you want to save your friend.” Celestino warned them before throwing his arm out and muttering.

The man noticed his actions, and roughly yanked Megan closer to the edge of the drop. 

Time seemed to slow for Yuuri. In a moment, Celestino released the spell he had been charging, and a split second later, right before the spell hit the man, Megan was thrown off the cliff.

Yuuri’s body moved before he could even think. He lept forward, racing past the man, and with a powerful beat of his wings, flung himself over the drop with his arms stretched out to catch Megan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel dead inside... why is that? 
> 
> Let me know if you guys want me to delve into Megan's character, or if you want them to stay a side character. I feel like making them an important part of the story, but I won't make any surefire decisions if you guys don't want it. 
> 
> Chat with me on Tumblr: [here](http://alphaweeb.tumblr.com)


	11. Descend into the Abyss Passing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Viktor decides his next move, as Yuuri wakes to find himself nowhere near where he once was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but like, Breath of the Wild. Good shit right there UvU

The world seemed to move in slow motion. Everything had frozen to this moment. Celestino firing his spell, Megan getting thrown off the drop behind them, and Yuuri making the split second decision to jump after them. 

The group had just came into view for Viktor, Mila, and Phichit. The first and only thing Viktor processed was two important people to him falling. With a shout, he launched himself forward. A desperate attempt to stop what was already happening. 

“Yuuri!”

 

Yuuri didn’t know what compelled him to attempt to save Megan. All he felt at the moment was the need to protect them as best he could. He didn’t even know if his wings had healed enough for him to fly, let alone carry another’s weight with him, but he’d be damned if he just watched someone fall to their death without trying to help. 

It took only a fraction of a moment for Yuuri to reach Megan’s unresponsive body. The shock of falling must have made them pass out, Yuuri guessed. He quickly wrapped his arms around them as best he could, and with all the strength he had left, forced his wings open to catch the wind. 

The pain was immediate. A fiery sensation ripped up the tendons and down Yuuri’s back. A sharp cry was pulled from his lungs, but he fought to keep upright until he and Megan were safe. It was almost too much to bargain for, as he neared the ground, his wings gave out, and the pair crashed into a river. 

 

Viktor watched in horror as the falling pair went out of his sight. Fury engulfed him, and he turned to the perpetrator with a vigor no one in the school had seen from him. 

“Who the hell are you?” Viktor bellowed, eyes wild. 

The man only stared at the silver haired man with a slight indifference. Almost like he wasn’t remotely threatened by him. 

“I’ll give you 10 seconds to answer, if you don’t,” a twitch of a sinister smile, “Well, let's just say you won't have a head to think with when I’m done with you.” 

“Viktor, I don’t think that would be a good idea.” Mila tried to rationalize. “We should just bind him and take him to Yakov.”

“No, he hurt my student and apprentice, I will deal with him myself.” Viktor snapped, keeping his glare locked on the man.

“I understand that, Viktor, but you have to remember that Yuuri and Megan are still out there somewhere.” Mila retorted. “Do you want to be the one to interrogate this sucm, or do you want to find the ones dear to you?”

Mila’s words caused Viktor to pause. On one hand, he would be able to see Yuuri and Megan quicker if he were the one to search for them. On the other hand, he would be the one to, all to gladly, give the man the punishment he so very deserved. 

“If you’re having any trouble choosing, I have an idea.” Yuri piped up. “You go find your little piggy, and I’ll make sure to tell Yakov to leave the final blows to this jackass to you, deal?”

“I suppose that could work.” Viktor hummed. 

“Good, now get your ass out of here and look for them. We’ll deal with him.” Yuri growled, turning on the hooded man. 

Viktor spared the man one last glare before dashing off to search for their missing companions. 

 

When Yuuri awoke, all he felt was pain. His entire body ached, made it hard to move at all. It took some time for him to fully regain conscious. The second thing he processed was the fact that his bottom half was submerged in water. He drearily turned his head to see his legs still in the river.

He stared for a moment, grasping at the memories of what had happened before. Finding nothing, he resolved to pull himself up and survey the surrounding area. The trees were dense, bushes scattering the landscape as well. 

Yuuri’s eyes landed on a figure lying on the river bank several feet away from him, and the memories rushed back. The tense confrontation, and his decision to jump off the ledge to try and break Megan’s fall. Him pulling something in his wing, and their landing in the water. After that, he must have passed out. All he could remember from that point on was waking up. 

Yuuri quickly dashed over to where Megan lie, assessing their conditions. There were cuts and scrapes all over their body, as well as bruises from the landing. They were still unconscious, but Yuuri could see that they were still breathing. That was a relief at least. 

He wondered, for a moment, how much time had passed since their fall. By the position of the sun, he guessed about an hour, but it was also plausible that an entire day had passed. The only real way he could find out would be to find Viktor and ask him. 

But that wasn’t possible at the moment. Yuuri had no idea where he was, and he wasn't about to leave Megan to fend for themself as he went to search for Viktor. Not with night quickly approaching. Yuuri’s best bet was to find shelter and wait the night out, also with hope that Megan would awaken soon. 

Standing, Yuuri wandered around the area, looking for anything that could serve as a shelter for the night. There were lots of branches and foliage nearby, so it was entirely possible to make a lean on shelter. That was one option. 

He nearly decided to go with it before spotting a small indentation in the rocks across the river. The area Yuuri had woken in was shallow enough to walk across. With some time, he could cover the entrance to the enclave with branches and leaves to keep out some of the cold, as well as build a small fire to warm them even more. It seemed like the best option at the moment, so he got to work. 

Gently lifting Megan so that one of their arms were draped over his shoulders, Yuuri began the grueling process of getting the unconscious person across the river and into the soon to be shelter. The weight of another person leaning against him brought even more pain to his battered body, but it had to be done, so he persevered. After some struggle, Yuuri cleared off the ground and set Megan down inside the indentation. With them in place he waded back across the river, well stream at this point really, to gather anything that could be used to cover the opening. 

The process was slow, and by the time he neared the end, his body was screaming in even more agony than it had been in when he had first awoken. The pain had been worth it though. The shelter was nicely covered, blocking the view of any predators, and keeping some of the cool night air at bay. Along the way, Yuuri had gathered dry twigs and sticks to use as kindle, and whatever edible things he could find. 

Now, all there was to do was wait. Until morning came, or until Megan woke up, whichever came first. Yuuri had fully intended to keep watch throughout the night, but soon found himself nodding off beside the small fire, the energy he had exserted becoming rapidly apparent. Yuuri gave one last feeble attempt to stay awake before his eyes had finally shut for the night for good. 

 

“Wake up”

Distant, almost inaudible. The voice called again and again. 

“-uuri wake up, please.”

Desperation. He was needed, but his body felt so heavy. He couldn’t move.

“Yuuri!” The voice called out again, louder. It’s desperate pleas had finally begun to rouse the sleeping man. “Yuuri wake up!”

His eyes snapped open. Grey irises peered down at him, worry reflecting in them. Blinking a few times, Megan’s figure came into focus. 

“You’re awake, thank goodness.” They sighed, backing from Yuuri’s personal space. “I was beginning to think that maybe you had gone into a coma or something of the like.”

“When?” Yuuri rasped, sitting up slowly.

“When what?”

“When did you wake up?” The morning light made Yuuri’s eyes burn. 

“Around sunrise I think.” Megan thought for a moment. “Well, I kind woke up earlier, but went back to sleep. I felt this call pulsing out every few minutes and it fully woke me.”

“A call?” Yuuri questioned.

“I don’t know how to describe it. Like someone was looking for us, but didn’t know where we went.” Megan tried to explain. “It wasn’t very strong, so whatever it was isn’t nearby. I didn’t sense anything malicious from it though.”

“Okay.” Yuuri didn’t really understand what they were talking about, but went with it anyway. “How are you feeling?”

“Sore.” They chuckled, then winced, “Really, really sore. Other than that, I’m fine, but what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Yuuri your feathers are falling out and you have more bruises than I do, don’t play dumb with me.” Megan narrowed their eyes. 

His feathers? He hadn’t noticed. He turned to see dozens of them littering the ground in the surrounding area. He must had been too delirious last night to notice. Stress and injury were main causes to feather loss, other than that, it could be an illness, but it was most likely from the fall. 

“I wouldn’t worry about it now, if I keep losing them after now is when I’ll worry about it.”

Megan nodded, a heavy sigh leaving them. The pair sat in silence for a while, waking themselves up. It had been comfortable before Megan gasped and looked around quickly. 

“Yuuri, the call is getting stronger, I think they’re getting closer.”


	12. Bearer of Bad News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We find out more about Yuuri, Megan, and Viktor's time in the wilderness, as Yuri and Mila receive some urgent news from Yuri's friend and Phichit informant, Otabek.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit guys, I'm so sorry. I have no real excuse for not updating outside of the fact that depression fucking sucks. Hopefully I can keep a somewhat consistent update schedule in the future.

Victor only had a vague idea as to where Yuuri and Megan fell. He also had to consider the possibility yuri being able to fly them further and where they fell he recalled expecting his wings in the garden a while ago, but never did find out if there were any injury to the a Aveir. Also didn't know if yuuri could carry the weight of another human being while he was flying 

Victor thought it best to start near the drop off and work his way out, zoning into the area to find some sort of wisp of Yuuri or Megan's magic. He had to be quick in finding them. Victor wasn't sure how long the pair could last out and be open by themselves. Especially after all that Yuri had been through. it was concerning. 

Victor had never gotten a chance to tell Yuuri about the real reason for the dance school. Well it did teach dance, the real reason behind it was to teach new people magic through dance. After several years of tense relations with the King, people who showed signs of magic outward from a young age were taken into custody. No one quite knew why they were taken away, they only knew that once they were taken they never came back. 

Yakov created his school in order to teach young children how to exert their match without outwardly showing any sign that they were performing magic. Instead he taught them to integrate it into their dance so when the spell was released the enemy would not know which direction or who it came from. With that tactic in mind, Yakov moved to change society as it was. Buying and freeing slaves and teaching young people magic. No one knew the reason behind this though, as Yakov was a very secretive person, the servants knew what school did, but not the reason for why they did it. 

Darkness soon fell where Victor was at causing him to have to put a stop to his search. He could only hope that yuuri hadn't gotten to far, and that he and Megan were safe. It wasn't safe to search at night so he had no choice but to find a place to sleep until sunrise.

 

Megan seemed tense. She had repeatedly told Yuuri that there was a magic energy nearby, and it was seeming to get closer. They had sensed it the night before, but it had been so far off that they didn't think to mention. Now energy was getting closer, and Megan was beginning to get worried. 

"Does it seem malicious?" Yuuri asked. 

"I can't really tell, it seems panicked, like it to desperately trying to find something." megan replied. 

"Do you think we should move around it?" 

"Honestly I'm kind of curious. I don't think it has bad intentions so I want to know what's causing the energy." Megan responded. "Are you comfortable with that?" 

"I think I'd rather keep moving, if that's alright with you.” Yuuri’s sudden timid demeanor surprised Megan. “I don't like feeling like a sitting duck, reminds me of bad things.”

“Alright, if that makes you feel safer, we'll keep moving forward.” Megan said. “We fell into the river, right? Let's follow it upstream and hope we find something familiar.” 

Yuuri helped Megan pack up and clear as much of their evidence as possible. Megan’s reasoning being that if the entity following them meant them harm, their findings for their camp would be a huge hint for them. So they cleared it and began the trek upstream. Neither of them knew how long they had been out, so for all the pair knew, they had a long journey ahead of them. 

 

 

Back at the market, Yuri, and Mila had spent the night at Celestino’s place with Phichit while Celestino went ahead of them with the man to hand him over to Yakov, along with the request Viktor had put in. 

The morning had been dull, neither of the two allowed to leave the homey cottage until Viktor had returned, or they had gotten word from Yakov to make their way back. It was dangerous for slaves to be out on their own without their master or supervisor, even if they weren't treated as such in Yakov’s home. 

Of course, being confined in a small unfamiliar area for extended periods of time granted on the nerves. 

“Damn it, when can we leave?” Yuri growled, his gaze so sharp it could have shattered the glass from his perch in the window. 

“You know when, Yuri.” Mila replied, “I don’t see what your complaining will do about it, busy yourself until we hear anything.”

Yuri turned and hissed at Mila before dragging his gaze back out the window. It seemed like forever ago that Viktor had gone to search for Yuuri and Megan, and the wait till they returned seemed to be even longer. 

“I have lunch ready if you two want it.” Phichit poked his head out from the kitchen. “Its nothing fancy, just some sandwiches.”

“Any food is appreciated, thank you Phichit.” Mila took the platter from his hands, setting it on the side table near the window Yuri was perched in. Yuri, trying his best to remain angry, eyed the food with disdain before his hunger got the best of him and he quickly snached a sandwich from the plate. 

“I have a friend coming over soon, Otabek, he’s told me something has happened at the main capital and I wanted to know about it.” Phichit informed them, “Since you guys can't leave, I didn’t think it fair to leave myself, so I invited him over.”

Yuri’s ears perked up as a smug smile graced Mila’s face. 

“You just named his favorite person, Phichit.” Mila said with a laugh.

“Shut up hag!” Yuri snapped, his tail puffing and whipping back and forth angrily. “He’s just one of the few people I can tolerate is all.” 

“Sure, keep telling yourself that kitten.” Mila teased, effortlessly dodging the swing Yuri sent her way. “At least you won't have a reason to be so pissy anymore.”

“Well, I’m more worried about the information he’s bringing, myself.” Phichit pitched in. “He sounded like it was bad, so I’m a bit worried.” 

Before he could explain anymore, a sharp rap on the door interrupted Phichit, who quickly got up and peeked through the window. 

“Speak of the devil.” He murmured, opening the door to reveal the man they had all been talking about. “Come on in.”

“Phichit, it’s not good.” Otabek’s somber tone killed the atmosphere is a split second. “This is going to change everything.”

 

Viktor had woken early that morning, his desire to find Yuuri and Megan keeping him from getting much sleep that night. He had tossed and turned constantly, trying to keep himself from reaching out to sense the trail of magic they had left in their wake. It wasn’t a very draining thing to do, but everyone needed to rest lest they become totally exhausted. 

His sleep had been fitful at best, dreams of what he could have, or should have done plagued him. When he woke, he felt as if he had been fighting the whole night instead of sleeping. 

Getting up with a pleasing stretch, Viktor reached within the recesses of his mind and latched back onto the trail he had been following. It was weaker, they must have begun moving a while before Viktor had woke up. Delving a bit deeper, he found that they had doubled back and passed him, heading back up the river. 

They had fallen into the river to begin with, Viktor realized. It made sense now. He had been wondering how they had gotten. He had been is such a frantic state of mind the night before that the thought never crossed his mind. It didn’t matter now, though. 

He made his pace quick, backtracking the way he came. Viktor knew he would make better time since he knew the way and didn’t have to fight to see in the dark of night. If all went well, he would catch up with them. 

He then realized, that he didn’t know if Megan knew his presence or not. He knew they could sense them, but it was another matter to be able to distinguish them. He did his best to put out the most non-threatening presence he could muster, knowing that if he approached too quickly, he might frighten Yuuri, which he desperately didn’t want to do. 

If he could manage to get close enough, Viktor would be able to make mental contact with Megan, and ask them to wait for him to catch up, hopefully erasing any panic the two might feel about his presence. If it went to plan, that was. 

 

“Tell me everything, Otabek.” Phichit’s voice became sharp and serious.

“The king has issued a statement to all knights and bounty hunters.” Otabek began. “All Aveir are to be captured, dead or alive, and brought to the capital.” 

“Yuuri.” Yuri gasped, sharing a look with Mila. They no longer had time to wait for news, they had to find Viktor, and hopefully Yuuri and Megan as well. Mila understood and rose from her seat quickly. 

“Let’s move, Yuri. If we hurry, we can find them before they enter the market and seal their fate.”


End file.
